Apparatus for separating fiber-covered seeds from the pods in which they grow.



E. G. TRYPANI. APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FIBER COVERED SEEDS FROM THE PODS IN WHICH THEY GROW.

v APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. IBM:-

Patented July 20, 1915.

17922222022126] 6'". fiyaaizz,

5 K IXW 275500 225% .TTNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTQE EMMANUEL GEORGES TRYPANI, OF ADANA, TURKEY IN ASIA.

APPARATUS FORVSEPARATING FIBER-COVERED snaps FROM THE PODS IN WHICH THEY snow.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J u1y20, 1915.

Original application filed December 9, 1913, Serial No. 805,550. Divided and this application filed February 26, 1914. Serial No. 821,327.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMMANUEL Gnonons TRYPANT, subject of the Kingof Greece, residing at Adana, Asiatic Turkey, have invented certain new and useful Improve-' merits in Apparatus for Separating Fiber- Covered Seeds from the Pods in Which They Grow, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object an appliance for use in connection with cotton gins for mechanically separating fiber covered seeds from the pods, shells or husks in which they grow, and for delivering both the fiber covered seed and the broken pieces of pod, automatically direct into the hopper of a gin.

The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which show my invention applied to a gin of the type described in my specification Serial No. 805,550, of which this is a division.

In these, Figure l is a vertical cross section of my device together with a portion of the gin hopper; and Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof with certain parts removed.

Referring to these figures, 1 is the feed table, and 2 a sloping portion which together with the end frames 3 of the machine, the rail and fixed blade or knife 5, form the hopper of the gin of the type above referred to. Standing upon the table 1, is the device for breaking and opening the pods, shells, or husks. This comprises the feed. box or hopper 41 in which are placed the pods of cotton to be operated upon, while below the wide opening in the hopper bottom. three or other suitable number of parallel fluted feed rolls 42 is placed. These rolls are of wood and are geared together at 52, so as to all revolve in the same direction. The rolls 42 are spaced apart so as to leave open spaces between, through which a certain amount of dirt, and loose foreign matter will drop out on to the table 1 from the pods, shells or husks in their passage to the breal iing rolls 43. The said row of fluted rolls operate as a creeper to feed the pods in between the breaking rolls, and this feeding is assisted by arranging the rolls in an inclined plane.

43 are the pair of toothed breaking rolls which are pressed together or toward one another by the spring 44. The periphery of each roll has circumferential rows of pointed teeth, the teeth of each row alternating with the next throughout the length of the roll, and the teeth on one roll interinesh freely with the teeth of the adjacent roll. As the pods are fed by the fluted creeper rolls in between the breaking rolls 43, the latter break or open the pods so as to expose the fiber covered seeds inside. Beneath the lower breaking roll I place a plate 53 preferably curved to correspond with the lower portion of said breaking roll, so as to prevent any broken pieces of pod or seed cotton falling on to the table 1.

Adjacent to the breaking rolls is the revolving toothed or spiked roll 46, the axis of which is located in a horizontal. plane which is midway between the axes of the breaking rolls 43. Above the spiked roll 46 is the stationary casing 45 curved to correspond with the upper portion of the said spiked roll. This stationary casing is provided with internal teeth or spikes, and the internal spikes on this casing and the external teeth on the roll 46 are in circumferential rows, so arranged that the spikes on one pass between the spikes on the other, and the spikes on the roll intermesh with the teeth of the breaking rolls 43. The rotation of the breaking rolls 43 deliver the broken pods and fiber covered seeds into the stationary casing 45, which is arranged above the upper portion of the spiked roll 46. The said roll 46 revolves in the direction of the arrow, and its spikes carry forward the broken pods and fiber covered seeds against the fixed spikes in the casing, the action of which is to open out the fiber cov ered seeds, and separate the cotton from the pods, shells or husks. The rotation of the roll 46 being continued, the cotton sepa rated from the pods and the broken pods themselves pass out through the delivery opening 47 in the casing on to the sloping portion 2 of the gin hopper, where the cotton or other fiber is stripped from the seeds, and separately ejected, while the stripped seeds and broken pods are also separated and ejected as described in my specification aforesaid. The casing with the internal spikes being mounted above the upper portion of the spiked roll, allows the broken pods and seed cotton to fall by gravity into the hopper of the gin. The plate 53 is'eX- tended at opposite sides below the adjacent creeper roll v42 and spiked roll 46. The device is preferably about one third the length of the gin hopper. The machine is driven by a single prime mover, namely a shaft which operates the gin, and which also drives by means of a belt the pulley 48 of the spiked roll 46, and the speed pulley 49 drives the pulley 50 which operates by I I freely mounted the gear wheels 57 and, 58

secured together. The gear wheel 57 meshes with the gear wheel 59 on the shaft which carriesthe pulley 50, and transmits its motion to the breaking rolls 43 by means of the gear wheels 58, 60, 61 and 62 and from thence to the train of Wheels 52.. By'unlooking a nut orother suitable device however, the lever handle 54 can be turned on its axis 55 down clear of the gear wheel 59, and thus throw the separating device out of operation. The speed of driving can be changed by altering the ratio of the wheels 57 and 59.

The other constructional details shown in the drawing are described in my other specification aforesaid, and need only be briefly referredtow 6 and 7 are the usual reciprocating knives which work in conjunction with" the fixed blade 5, 8 the usual gin roller, 9 the feeder bar above the grid 17 and 10 its connecting rod operated by the crank shaft 12. 31 and 34 are the radius rods for the blades 6 and 7.

I declare that what I claim is In apparatus for separating fiber covered seeds from the pods in which they grow, thecombination with the hopper of a gin and a pair of toothed breaking rolls located above it for-breaking the pods fedin between them, of-a feed box or hopper for receiving the unbroken pods of cotton to be operated upon, parallel-fluted creeper rolls below this feedbox for feeding the pods to breaking rolls, a driving shaft, gear wheels for" driving: the breaking rolls, gear wheels for driving the creeper rolls all in one directionfronr the breaking'rolls, and gear wheels ona spindle adjustable on a radius arm-about a center for putting the driving shaft into or out of gear with said gear wheels simply by the movement of the radius arm.

In witnesses whereof, I have hereunto signed my name this 11 day of Feb. 1914, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMMANUEL GEORGES TRYPANL Witnesses W. N; HODGKINS',

Gr. (1- DYMOIvD.

(topics of this patent may. be obtained for. five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner-of Patents.

Washington, I). G. 

